 He was taken prisoner when the force was overrun, but he escaped in April 1945 and joined up with American forces in Bavaria.After demobilisation in 1945, Gough commanded the 11th Parachute Battalion, in the Territorial Army from February 1947 to 1948.He then decided to go into politics as a Conservative, and fought Lewisham South against Herbert Morrison in the 1950 general election.